O F GREAT: BRITAIN. [ Price One Shilling. ] 4 SERIOUS . EXHORTATION TO THE ELECTORS OF GREAT BRITAIN, WHEREIN The Importance of the approaching ; ELECTIONS is particularly -proved ■ from pur prefent Situation both at Home and Abroad. Ut jugulent Hminem furgunt de No3e Latmes. Ut Teipfim fames, non expergifceris? Hor. Rememler, O my Friends, the laws, the Rights, The gen'rous Plan of Pow'r, deliver'd down " . *rm Age to Age by your renown'd Fore-fathers, So dearly bought, the Price of fo much Blood-, «letstneverferijhinyour Hands, Butpioufy tranfmit ii to your Childress. Cato. LONDON: Printed for T. Cooper,' at the Globe in Pater-Nofier-Rew. MDCCXL. A SERIOUS EXHORTATION TO THE Electors of Great Britain. Countrymen and Fellow SubjeSis, B Crifis of Time is now ap». tant to- tfie Britijh Nation, and the moftdefervingof your > ferious Attention, that'per-, haps was ever known in this Country ; a Crifis, on the Events of which riot on¬ ly our Trade, our Honour and our Safety' noth,Foreign Enemies will depend, hue the Prefervation . of that Liberty at home, which is the firft Support ojf the others, and by which only they become valuable to us. B Ths [ 6 ] T h e War we arc now engag’d in muft convince you of the one, as njuft the. SpitP of our domeftick Affairs, ifconfi-' ' deredi, Pf the other. Hitherto, during the long Dele¬ gacy of a Septennial Parliament, youhave not-haditin your Power to apply . any Remedy to thole Grievances you may , have thought call’d loudly for Redrefs; ' but as now that Delegacy will fliortly be refum’d.again into your own Hands, every, ' Thing will once more depend upon your {elves, who may then-confer that Trail ' on fuch only-whole: Sentiments fhall.be . agreeable tp your own, on whole Wif- . dom and Prudence you can rely, and of 1 wfidfe Difintereftednels and Independarice , you fhaU be perfedtly aifur’d. / r a j , be-atlrfeh&le, how.much thd well condu&ing of a ; War muft be. pwuig^to the wife' and lleady Councils of ^ • a,ppnfiderate and uricorrupt Parliament. They have the firft and principal Right, s^ihe.'Grand Council of the Nation; to olfer their Advice in any Point .they lhall thmk^onddciveto that End; they are the jPdgcs'of the upnjght or wicked Mear fpr.es,-, the wife or weak Condudt of thofe- mo^ immediately coftc&med in its Ma¬ nagement. E 7 ] ' nagement. But aljove all, as theyareto determine what Exjxrices fhall bedeem’d neceflary, they have .it in their Power to grant or.refufe thofe Supplies to•• die Government, which: are the Support and Sinews of: every Warhence it becomes the Wifdom of Parliament to exert a fa¬ therly Goncern and Tendernefs .for- thofe Inconveniencies which every People'niuft neceflarily labour under in War j thatas, they ought cheerfrilly to frirniflr the ne- ceflary.Supplies without Niggardnefs din the one Hand ■, fo, on the other Hand; -they ought to pay the ftridteft Regard s and Obfervance to Oeconomy.; It is. a moft neceflary Duty of Parliament': to difcou- rage the leaf!: Step, towards Prodigality and Profufenefs: It is a moft neceflary.Duty . diligently to fearch out the moft frugal : Methods of Eflabliftiment bn alt' 05ca- fions of publick Expence, and to be care-i ful that whatever Meafures the Emergen¬ cy of Affairs may make neceflary td be taken, they may be fuch, and exeeited in. fuch a Manner, as -.{hall be as. little burtherifbriie and dpprefliye.as pofliblei It indifpenfably behoves them,ito letthofe ufeful arid defervin'g Subjedts. our Trader^ fee,, that they, are^riot wantonly inconv$f nienced at.home, nor willingly or neg® a v ' B % gently [ 8 I gently unprotected at Sea; as well as to convince the'landed Part of this Nation, that their Supplies' are not fquander’d in Jobs, or by carelefe and unskilful Manage¬ ment^ butdifcreetly laid out by-the Hands of provident, able, and well-difcerning Stewards of the Publick Revenue. Then will the People, who are always moil eminently zealous for their own Honour, chearfully comply with what is- impos’d om them, when fatisfy’d of its Neceflity, and that it will belaid out for their Ad- tege. This only will add a Strength' and Support, to; Arms, which nothing can leffen 5 this will make our Determina- tions.icarry a Terror to our Enemies, and gain them a Reverence .and RefpeCt from every Nation in Europe. l i, ; But as all Confiderations of Wealth, , Credit. andPower fromabroad, interefting asthey feem; to be, ; ; are'ftill’but fecondary ones: sto the Prefervation of our Liberty at,'Home,vwithout: which they lofe their Value, as .they ldfe their Security ; ’ I fhall Jyireheg leave .principally to lay before-you yourSituation at home, the regulating - of which may foon more immediately be - in your own Power.;'/ and 1- fhall add a few Words hereafter^:: to fhew : you how much : i • your [9] , your domeftick Welfare is connected with your Succefs, Prosperity and Glory a- bfoad. - ■ . - ' The firft Point therefore that requires your Attention'is, whether that Liberty and thofe Rights; which have been for¬ merly contended for and vindicated with the Lofs of fo much Blood, (land on fo firm and folid a Bafis, as to be in no Dan¬ ger, either of being thrown down by Force, or undermin’d by Art. - I n particular, to go back to a Point of Time in which our Rights were moft juftly aflerted, and a Recognition of them more explicitely obtain’d/you are to con- fider, (as it has been often recommended to you) whetherthe Ends of that Revo¬ lution have been arriv’d at andpreferv’d, or whether they have not been; tho’ not openly violated,'at lead: cunningly and bafely fruftrated and eluded. In Difquifitions of this Nature, yon are particularly to guard againft being de¬ luded by ,fafe Appearances, or amus’d by Words; it is this Deception that has been more the Bane of Liberty, than the utmpft open Force that Tyranny lias been' able to exert; Speciofa verbis re manta & fubdola , (kys facitun) & quanto ma- jore libertatis imagine tegebantur,tanto J eruptura ad infenfiusfervittum.. Slavery, is a Spectre too hideous and ghaftly hot to ' terrify when appearing in its own naked Deformity; and can feldom be ad- jndtted but under a borrow’d Shape. -The Court, ever : ’graiping at ne\y Power, either thro’ the miftaken Ambi¬ tion bf former Kings, or' the interefted Perfuafionsof Favourites and Muufters has often try’d the utmoft ^f Foreeaiid Violence to reduce, under the Subjeftion of its own Will, the. Lives apd Fortunes of the People of England -, but as pften as thefc Attempts have been made or re¬ new’d, fo often have, they been defeated bv the Spitit and Perfeyeranee of our An¬ chors; and frequently; prov’d fatol not only tothofe Minifterswho advisdthem, buteven to fuch Kings theinfelveS ashave been thus unhappily deluded and perfuad- ed. From hence, as Experience bas long fince convinc’d every one of the Imponi- bility of eftablifoing arbitrary Power in its firft Inftances by Force, in this Coun¬ try fo has it fuggefted not only to crafty Politicians, but pointed out to c^m- f ” 3 tclligent Man, the fele Method of intro- : during Slavery, here,: that is, by fecret In¬ fluence and Corruption. V . ... , Lt has been therefore a moft obvious Remark in the Mouth of every Writer who has treated of the Engfijh. Affairs and Conftitution, That this Nation can only be enflav’d by its own Means, by the Perfidy of thofe intrafted with its Liberties, by its Parliament.. ; ■ But tho’ this Truth has been render’d , more; confpicupus in this Country, by the fo often repeated Refiftance we have fhew’d to all opeq Attempts of arbitrary Power; yet it is riot a Truth wholly.con- fln’d to this Country, but has been more or left evident in all the. free Nations of 'Europe, that have been fince reduc’d un¬ der the Yoke of Slavery. i?fl»;e ;kept up its Form of Government. long after, its Liberty’ was loft; eadem . magiftrat'uum wcabula were ftill preferv’d ; a.corrupt and adulating Senate fety’d to countenance the moft vile and. bloody Defigns of a Tiberius or a. Nero : And indeed it is a Maxim of the moft penetrating and fub-' tile Genius jthat has ever written on. Po¬ liticks, That whoever would alter the L 12 3. - Conftifutionof a : State muftby allMeans preferve it’s outward Form. Since therefore it appears, that we can never become Ids free but by ig- nominioufly betraying our own Liberty, let us a little, refled by what Means that may be "brought about: As then it will be evident, that this can only be accom- pliih’d by two Methods, either by an in- difcreet or corrupt Choice of our Repre- fentatives, in whole Hands we trail our Liberty, or by the. corrupt and treache¬ rous Condud of fuch Reprefentatives when chofen into Parliament} it ne- cefl&rily follows} that it is of the higheft Importance to this Nation in the firft Place, to prevent as much as poffible, all Means of undue Influence and Cor¬ ruption } and in the next Place, to intraft fuch as Reprefentatives only,: whofe Cha- raders,. whofe Integrity, and whofe For-' tunes will exempt mem from all Danger of either. To feciire the Houfe of Commons from all indired Influence of the Crown, has been thought fo necefiary to the Pre- fervation of this Conftitution, that the, . At- (13 )- ; ' tendon of the Legiflature has been often employ’d/for the Prevention of fo dan¬ gerous an Evil; and a Claufe was inferted ip the Ad of Settlement to incapacitate fuch Men,as held Places tinder the Crown,' from fitting in the Houfe of Commons. That Claufe has been fince alter’d, and' now fextends only to aRe-eledion. What¬ ever- might have made the Qualifying of that Claufe; in feme degree nqceffary, of this I am moft certain, that thp; Admiffion of Place-Men on the Foot , it now Hands, will be attended with cer¬ tain Deftrudion to the ConfUtution, as muft .appear obvious to the Refledion of every Man, who with Impartiality con- fiders its Confcquences. There are at prefent in the Houfe of Cpmipon? alone about 234 Perfons, who are, publicity known to receive in Em¬ ployments from the Crown (J) 212956: Pounds per Annum ./ How far that;, is confiftent , with the, Independency of that Houfe, I will leave to your, own Judg¬ ment to determine. If I am told, the Honour, and Integrity of thofe Gentleinen preferve them from all danger of undue Influence, as I am not at Liberty to con- tradid it here, I fhall refer you to be del-, ternfln’d in that Poin t by their Condud. C You (I) Vide Lift of tit Convention. . . ( H ) Yovl will judge, whedier their unanimous Support of die: prefent Minifter in every, Mesfure for ^cfe, twenty, Yebrs,is a proof of their Independency j you, will judge, . vdietheraconftant Approbation offending jirmies. Votes\pfCredit, ifytifes and Con * mentions, ought to" perliiade you.of their Integrity. You will lijcewife examine, whether . , die molt implicit Compliance with, the Will, of the Mihiftef is iiot made the ohly Tenure by which thefe Emo^ laments are iecur’d to them." Of dm you will form your Opinions with bdt-, tey ground, when-you enquire into die Cables of the "late Difmlffion of feveral ferfonages, of the molt Known Abilities, afid Attachment to the prefent Eftablilh- rneht, from Offices as Well Military, as Civil. * ■ • ( ' , Bux.fo confiderable a Part of die People pf England, having already manifefted * We have an affe&ing, tho’ ridiculous InftaW, how weak a' tenure Integrity has been, generally thought for a Placeman, in a Story told by.the famous Mr. Sydney, which L can’t help repeating here, of , ,tJ a noble Perfon in his Time,'who wing'a' great “ Enemy to Bribery was turn’dout ofa confide- “ ruble Poll as a Scandal to the Court ; E«r, ftid the “ principal Minifter, He will make .ru Profit ef bis “ Mace, and by that Means tafis a Scandal m thofe “;that db. - '■.‘ - ""theif ( r 5 ) their Sentiments for the Neceffity of li¬ miting the exorbitant Number of Place¬ men in the H. of Common it is ncedlefs to enforce it here, and the Manner a Bill for that Purpofe was lately rejected, is become a moft ftrengthning and additional Argument in its Favour. The little Succefs the Remonftrances of many of you, have had on that head, and the Slight they were affedtedly treated with, will I hope be very far from Dif- pouraging your Exertion of the lame Right againft the next Meeting of Parliament: And here I Ihould hold myfelf ungrateful as a Fellow-Subjeft, were I to pafs by this Opportunity of mentioning with Ho¬ nour and Efteem the Ihining Example our great Metropolis fet forth to us laft Year, and lately allb on this Occafion, as well as the noble Zealand Spirit Ihe has manifefted on every other for the publick Honour afid Liberty. In this Ihe has Ihewn her- felf fenfible, that Liberty is the Soul oj Commerce . And as Ihe herfelf com- pofes fo very large a Part of this Nation, and mull: be more particularly interefted in whatever befals it, Ihe has ever been look’d upon with moft diftinguilh’dRegard in former Reigns, when Ihe has not only C 2 offer’d (I6) offer'd her Sentiments bn publlck Ocea* fions, but Kas'bceri particularly appiy’d to, Mid has had a Deference fhew’d to her Opinions, in many Inftaiices I could produce, by the greateft of our Princes: And as ihe has ever flood foremoft and undaunted in the Cauie of Liberty; fo has her Conduit feldom or ever fail’d of being attended with Succefs; ’ l . To' iiiftniCfc ’ your ReprefentatiyeSj' my (Counpymen, on any Occaflort you'think, proper,'is hot only a Kight the- Eleltprs oiBHiaih ime ever enjoy’d, : but the ; late: Alteration’ in the ConflitUtioti s of P-arlia- niepts, by J j the prolonging themforfeven ■ Years^ J ‘MS r rrtade' die -Exercife of fuch a r Ri|Hf i 'more : ^particularly expedient: For as 5 the Truft you repofe in them is of fp long a Continuance/ and hot to - be revoke by; you; tho' ever fomuch abus’d, ahd employ’d even to; your Difadvantage, ; it is undeniably neceffary that •ybUfhould have the Privilege of laying before them your Sentiments on any matter,’ the Im¬ portance of which you fliah-judge to re¬ quire this pUblick Intimation of them: And tho’ perhaps they he; notdmphcitly tyd down to a u (^pliadge?i!rith-' ^our. Jnftrudtiohs, yet when they $ghn become • - . Candi- ( *7 ) Candidates ; for the fame Truft, you are then to examine from what Motives their Noncompliance proceeded } and if: froni ; any not perfectly and moft clearly jufti- fiable, it becomes the higheft Aggrava¬ tion of their ill Condudt, as on the other Side their good Condudt muft carry with it an additional Weight in every Pro¬ ceeding when back’d with the Voice of their Conftituents and of the whole People of England; But if (my'Countrymen) thefe your fo juft and neceflairy Efforts, cannot prevail next Seffions for obtaining a Place-hill, you will fhortly as Electors of Great Britain have' it in your‘Power- to' make the nioft effeftual Law againft fil- : ling the Houfe of Commoris with Place- men, by making Independence in your pandidates the Rule of your Choice. ; I shall confine myfelf no longer to Arguments for what you already feem to think of fo property} but! fliatl call your Attention to a Confideration 1 of the ge¬ neral State you are in, that, by feeing the Danger that oh all Sides furrounds us, you may be able to point out the Remedy to ypurfelves, when convinc’d how much ypur Safety depends on it. : ■ It ' It is become the common Cint Argu¬ ment of ^e.M^ift^ai Advocates, when they -would extplthe Happinefs of the prefent Times, and the Security of Li¬ berty under , this Admjniftratipn, to af- fert that no Aft of Power, no violent. Exerrife of Prerogative is now eyer ex-- ertedj 'and pit Affertipn. they greatly, triumph,! icsyer all our juft Complaints agajnft the prefent State of . Things j, yet/ tyeah a$ thefeArguihents ; are, they are fuch by which many miftakeri Men arp willingly imposed on, andr gladly de¬ ceive themfeiyes, But as Power, hpwever arri^d at, is the fame whenjonce oh? tain’d, the. large Increafe of Weight in the Crown, and ; the .Influence it has found: means to acquire both - Autho¬ rity is properly circumfcrib’d,. yet will It. 'be attended :with the moft dangerous Confequences,-. if too large a difcretiohary PowerJlh6uld be intrufted in the Hands of^-Men'--entirely .moiniiiafed;:.by ' ‘ : the Crown efpecially if it ever ,becotn& pur,Galet6;fee[the-Jone:recommending Qjualification to that Office fliallbe on- ly .p^%-Attachment, ; and, a fervile Coihpliancje hi, promoting the: Intereft qfrtk Minifter in Eleftions of Members &y : : ^ ' D 2 to [M] to ferve in Parliament j which it is; ob- » vioiis, -When Men fhall be found corrupt enoughtoproftitute the Influence qf their Authority to fuch Purppfes, -they have it*, too much : in their Power by many Methods to perform. . - -;i The Integrity of thofe, whofe Duty it; is to recommend to his Majefty, feentlemen whofc portunes and Cha* rafters point them out as proper to ex- ertife that. Office in- their feveral Coun¬ ties, ffiould give us no Room to doubt of any partial: Diftribution of the Com* miffion of the Peace, or that any other Views interfere in this Diftribution than the Supporting of Juftice, and prefer* ving good Order in the Kingdom: But at the lame time, I :pwn, l am greatly at a: Lofs to account how fe¬ deral Gentlemen of the moft-eminent fortunes, the moft unqueftion’d Loyalty and diftjnguUh’d- Reputation, > as;in- many of them appears front the Confidence their feveral Counties repofe inthem, thatdf .reprefehting than’ in > Parlia¬ ment j I lay, when I lode round ' into many of-the ..Counties of> Englandpt am greatly at a; LoS to imaging how ■ • ' futh ‘ (*s') flick Gentlemen came to be forgot in tiie late Gojnoijffions of Peace j fori I cannot perfuade myfelf they ' can have been excluded from thus fertfng their Countries, but thro’ Forgetfidnefs or Mi- ftake: At th'ri toy 'Aftoiiilhment is in¬ creas’d, when I behold in the ‘ lame Counties Men of the moft narrow in- cumber’d Fortunes, and in the lowed: Efteem of their Neighbour^ exercifing that important Commiffion: This is a Point, toy Countrymen, I touft not de¬ cide here; it falls within the Reach and daily Obferation of every one of you, and I hope Will no'f be p&s’d by with¬ out that Confideration which it me- - rits.' .. : ■' v.- The Eftabliftment of the publiiric Funds - has alone put : the Conftitutioa of this' Kingdom on a very different Rioting front what it'Was formerly,- and has thrown an' immenfe Weight into rite Scale ott the Government’s Side^' uh« known to Our AttceftotS, Which by th© Management of a wickCd Minifter may be made the moft fatal Ufe of: -And the Collection of thofe Revenues appi:6- |iriafod to ytheiFayintot 'Of'the Iritefoft and (> 6 ) and; Difcharge. .of that,, great National Debt, CQutra^eiin lJat£ C general and neceflary; V^arjj ^fions^ jthe -Employ-: rnent ofanincredibleNumberofOfficersi at an im?nenfe Expence, who are wholly at- the rDeyotion of the Court, , and in whole PrpmOtiOhi if: artfully 'made with a .View .tq^ alcParliamentary Intereft, a great Part of the Electors of Great BrU tain mull: he more or left interefted... ;When ,we look; round us, and re¬ flect on all the other numerous and great Employments at the Difpofal of . the Court, on the vail’Number of military Officers requir'd jn the large;. Army that has all along been kept up, infomuch as I will venture to fay there is hardly a Family of any Diftindtion. in the King¬ dom, who has not a Relation if not in SaCivil, at .lead in. a Military. : Capacity ^pending pnrffie/Courti' and few Free¬ holders in any, County, or Voters in a Corporation,^who-haye ;pot ; ,fome. Friend pr . Relatiqn ina, little Employment ; I when .we refleiflton this apparpnt r un- deniable Truth, can any-Man think our fomuch boafted ; equal-balanc’diConftk [ *7 1 to treat with Indignation thofe, who, by af- ferting it, would thus lull us into Slavery by fo grofs, fo infolent an Impofition on our Underftanding and Senfes ? The vaft Increafe of the Civil Lift, which the Complaifance of the late Parlia¬ ments have thought proper to make, is another dangerous Accefilon of Strength and Independance to the Crown. Wealth and Power generally go hand in hand ;and if ever an enterprizing Prince fhould arife, or a weak one govern’d by a Minifter, whofe whole Support muft be in Corrup¬ tion; iffucha Prince lhould arife, pof- fefs’d of a Revenue for Life, of near a Million Sterling, it will be entirely in his Power to corrupt the very Fountains of Liberty. This fo immenfe a Revenue was not very longfince fufficient almoft to de¬ fray the whole Expences of the State, as well as thoie of the Royal Family; And here I cannot but take notice of the difad- vantageous Manner to the Publick, in which the Civil Lift is fettled, that is, by the Appropriation of certain Taxes for the Payment of it, which how much foever they exceed (as may be demonftrated to be greatly the Cafe) the Sum nominated t a* ] to be fettled, apd which the Publick is oblig'd at allEvpnts tomake good, yet no Retribution of the Overplus, is .ever to be made: From whence this Mifchief muft infallibly arife, that if any Redrels of a Grievance, by which fome Branch of the Civil Lift is increas'4 fhould arife, a Mi- nifter who only regards this pecuniary In- tereft will never agree to promote fuch Redrels, but ufeall bis Influence toobftrudt foe obtaining any, ufftels he can market the Grievance , by a Compenlation of a a larger Sum, even when the Civil Lift would 1U11 more than amount to the Sum Specified, nay be a Gainer in another lhape by the Bargain, as wa§ evidently die Cafe in the late Gin-Bill. .Let us add to aU the fore-mentioned Confideratiohs, the formidable Army that has been hept-up among!! us during tire moift profound Peace, and which even at this time an its prcfent Numbers js far from feeining neceflary to me,} we have pow about fixty fooufand Men in the Pay f&GreatBritain and inland^ thq’ en-. ^g’d only in a ,Naval War vtxtinSpain. . .And t 4 9 1 And here.I' mutt talce hbtice'-to yoti of the Reproach and Infult offer’d : not only, to the People of Great Britain, but to his Majefty and hisFamily, bythe Advo¬ cates for the ftanding Army: Bafe Wret¬ ches! to load thus their Fellow-Subjeds with Scandal, and the Matter they ferve with Reproach; who charge the whole, Nation with Difaffedion, a Spirit of ^Tu¬ mult and Riot $ who pay his Majefty thp ill Gomphinent to fuppofef that his Safety confifts notin the Affedions of his SuIm : jeds, but the Number bf his. Trobps ; t who would prove by.their Aflertibns, that inftead of having reconciled the Hearts of. the Engltjh by the Lenity of their’Govern¬ ment, and their Care for their Welfare, this Royal Family- every Day more and more eftranges the good Will and Fidelity of their. Subjedsthat thrice the Number of Troops is neceffary for .the Security of the Royal Family, after having, had fd long-time to convince the Nation :of the Advantages of. the prefent Succeffion, that was thought fufheient to fupport K.; W; while a Stranger, to thefe Kingdoms, tho’ the Abdicated KING -was ftill livings fupported bythe moft powerful Princes of Europe, inveterate Enemies to K. W. E WHAf . Wh AT conld the moft bigotted Foes to hisMajefty invent more to his Difhonour, more to lns Diiadvantage?, Yet fuchare die Men who .call themfelves Friends to Liberty! fiich are they who impudently boaft themfelves the Support of the Pro- teftant Succeffion * • ,:It has been a moft fetal Effe£t of Par¬ ty-Contentions in this . Country, that as each has been b its Turn opprefs’dby the either, the prevailbg Side has constantly fortified, itfelf, by throwing Power bto the hands of the Crown, on whofe Pro- teftion it has depended. The Bulk of die People,-blindly hurry’d on byRefent- ,ment of paft illUfage, have been made the ; Dupes pf wicked and artful Leaders, to furnifti them with thofe' Arms agabft their Enemies, ' which have afterwards been employed b cuttbg : their own Throatslike the Horfe b the Fable, who bebg.bfultedi by the Stag;; implored die AiEftance of Man, who took the Oppor¬ tunity of putting that Bridle in his Mouth, which made him ever afterwards the Slave pf his.pretended Deliverer.;; this was the Cafe formerly, at the Re flotation. : . Thence came , thofe extravagant Notions of; Regal . Power % t 3 1 ] ' Power to be reviv’d; thertce thofe fevere Reftraints on- the Gonfciences of. fuch whofe Opinions differ’d from that OF the Church, Which the Legiflature then thought fit to eftablifli. In like mariner, 1 have we liv’d to fee the pretended Zeal'of Whigs for the Security of the Proteftani Succeffion, tarry them; into .Meafures much more deftra&ive to Liberty, than a- ny thing that the Frahtick -Notions of Tories could have ever accompljfll’d.' The one enclaves by LaWy the other by its Doftrines, Which of* fcourfe uleflroy themfelves, wheh put into Pra&icejby convincing Mankind of their Abfiirdity. The Eilablifhmedt of the : prefent Royal Family, as it fecures to ns the En¬ joyment both of our Civil'and Religious Liberty, is what every Engltjhkan ought to have greatly at heart; I.fay, asit fei cures thofe great Blefiings totls: For tho’ no Mali living can more fincerely love, or naeife truly honour his Majefty ahdhis Fa-, mily than' my felf, yet Imuft confidef them; as call’d to this Crown not for their own fake, but fbr the National Advantage'. Therefore I affirm, that the Securityof no Succeffion ought tobe fupported by means? • E 2 dangerous V / ■ [3M dangerous to thofe Ends'for which alone that Succeffion was itfelf eftablifh’d. In. reality thjs can never be the Cafe j for the Happinefs of his Majefty and his People muft be infeparable: And thus Argument is pnly pretended hy, wicked Men to in¬ duce wegk; one? to, comply with their Defigns. Therefore no Reafons can be urged, which, when confider’d, fhou}d weigh with us to come ipto any Point that direfltly, qr in its remoter Confequences,' can be detrimental to the liberty of ,the People -. Fqr I repeat, • that the true In- tereft qf the King and Nation muft be the feme; but, were it poffible to be other- wife, I dare pronounce. That of the Peo¬ ple ought to prevail. • That Government is inftihited.fpr the fake of the Governed, is a Truth too well knovvn now to be pqn- tefted. The Pepple are not only con-* cern’d to guard, againft all Innovations in the ConftitUtion, but they have, always a. Right to demand any Amendment in the Cpnflitutipn,; fhould they 'difcover any Partdefe^ve. Nor indeed could any mix’d Government long fubfift free with¬ out fuqh a Ri^ For wherever a Cpurt is, it will.in its F£Fe£^ unavoidably're- female tiie Sea, or,fuch .rapid. Streams as; . •’ '' V Will tyill always encroach by degrees on fame Part of the adjoining Land, which is no foqner defended, by proper Mounds in,one Place, than, the Force of the Current be- Place, whicli fooii requires theJame.R^ caution of Defence, " Nor can Prerogatiye.be urged aihift any Precaution the Publick Good vifibly. requires ; for we are not to underftand Prerogative to be any Right virtually and infeparably annex’d to the Prince’s Perfon,- merely for, his own Aggrandizement j hut as a certain .Degree of Power, which the Community,, for their own . Advantage have thought proper to leave uncircum- fcnbed in his hands, to be. applied for their Safety and Utility only, and which .they-: have a Fight tp,retrench m any Part, when made ufe of to.theirPmjudiceor Deftruc- tion. ^ • I have now, my Countiymen, ppint- ° ut yoiir Situation, and your Rights, as well as my Ability and the Ex, tenfiyenefs of the Subject will allow me m this Place * 4nd if the flight Maimer ?n which I .have touched on the foregoing Topicks,fliallbut he fufficientto ferve as fdmany HGnts for exciting your Atten- tionto confider them fully within your own Minds, aScene muft open itfelf to your Reflexion, much more eictenfive than any Man. can exprefs to you. Ail. Parties of Men will be charged with private Views in their publick Con- duit ; that many of all denominations aft from fuch Principles; is unfortunately too true at all timCs. But what I defire to appeal to are Fafts, in themfelves good or ba<£ in their Nature unalterable, and in- dep'endent of the Views of thole who pro¬ mote or oppofe them. But I muft ob- ferve, for : the Honour of fome Gentle¬ men; that I cannot fee what: greater Pledge they : can now p61fiWy give the ftyblickof thrirlntegrity; than by promoting fuch Meafures as would reftrain-themfelves from an ill Ufe of Power, if ever they become entrafted with it, in the fame manner as they' would 'now reftfairi thofe who aire too geiMifallythoughtguiltyof fuch'an Abufe, This Pam fufe of; ; it is the Ihterefhofthe Publick to take advantage, and encourage theuprefentDifppfitm for Keformajtion, Mit iiwl^ their^ Duty to oppdfe mem; fhould 1 35 J . ' Should they endeavour toa&irta different manner hereafter; * : I did, at one time,, propofe to have laidbefore you, for your former Satisfac¬ tion, a Ihort Abftraft of the Proceedings of every Seffion of the prefeni Parliament; and had indeed,notwiihout fome trouble, digefted arid prepared the principal Event's for your Perulal: but finding, that fuch a Recital of Parliamentary Proceedings could- not but be attended with Drynefs, and perhaps an Appearance of Tedioufneis, which by all means I Ihould wilhfo avoid,. I refolved to refer you to the printed Votes, inconteftable Vouchers for the Truth of what i fay to you. Hence will indifpu- tably appear (what you have but tdo le- verely felt) the intolerable Loajf-this poor Nation has all along groan’dunder; hence will appear the prodigoiis Grants 'that have been annually given for the Mainte¬ nance of pacifiek Efeet9,ftanding Armies, Subfidies toforeignTriijces for Deficien¬ cies complain’d of, for extraordinary or fe- cret Services, for Votes, of Credit, and for; many other Articles tool numerous to infer*j Hence^wffl yoiifee, in the very Beginning ofthisParliafoeht, thirty thoutondSeamenv [ 36 ] and twenty-fix thouland Land-Forces, vo¬ ted nieceflary at a time, when, butafeW days before, we were told from the Throne, That his Msyefty was only'engaged, by “ Ins good Offices, to make up the Differ. “ tences in Europe.” Hence will you likewifefee, an Exainination into Publick Accounts, hji va feledt Committee, ccin- ftantly refiifed j and even the laft Seffidn alone will fumiffi you with numerous and melancholy Inft&ces of Negatives put on every, Enquiry,- propofed on: every Light that was defired into our Negotiations a- hfdad, or: into our Management at home, ; Th e Condudt of certain Gentlemen in the Bill for impowering his Majefty to raife Money at three perCent. for redeem- ing-the National Debt, willihewyou how httltedefirousfdme People'are of Jeffening thatdeftru&ive Burthen, as they know how much; their :own Influence will decreafe with it.; and more particularly when we recoiled, that, while that Affair depended, a Propofition was rejected, that’had been intended,to afcertain the good Effeds of the Bill to the Publick, by the 'Houfe’s aiming to a Refolution, that when the IntereiLof -the: National Debt lhould be . .L:,j reduced reduced to three per Cent, feme of'the heavy Tatfes fliould be taken off which opprefsttie Poor and the Manufacturers. As I have taken Notice to you of the dangerous Multiplication of Penal Laws,' I muft beg your Indulgence Tor the mentioning of one ACt, which was 'car- r/d in the H—of'Co—ns by fp thin a Houle as 88 to 39, tho’ of the*moft publick Coiicern :of any that had for . lbme Time come before the Confideration of Parliament : By this I mean the Smugging ACt, and whidi I am die more induced to mention, on account/of the Oppofition it met with in another Houfe, from two noble. Lords, whole great Abilities and confummate Knowledge in the Laws of this Country, muft make them allowed to be. moft able Judges of the good or bad Tendency of fuch new ones as come under their Confideration. As the Speech of one of thofe Lords, who now lb emi¬ nently prefides in the greateft Court in this Kingdom, has been made publick, I lhall beg leave to refer you to it,, for the belt, Information you can receive of the Objections to which this Bill was liable and as this Spfeech is fraught [ 38 ] with Sentiments worthy of one fo well ac¬ quainted with the Foundations of the Free¬ dom of this Conftitution, and who, lam fure, cannot be charged, in this Inftance with any Party-Prejudice, it muft give a lingular .Satisfaction to all who read it. By him it was thought, one of the moji fi- mere and dangerous Bills that ever was fajjed by a Britifli Legifature, and Juch as would fubjeB every Man in the Kingdom to the Danger, of being committed to Pri- fm, by afmgle Jufice of Peace, without Bail or Mainprife, of being conviBed as a Smuggler ; and all this without ever being guilty of any one Overt-AB, except that of travelling properly armed for his Defence, and having the Misfortune to meet with two Friends on the Road, armed in the fame manner, in cafe any two Rogues of Informers, who are to get i sol perhaps 2501 by their Perjury, fall fwear that this honef Man and his Friends were af- fembled and armed, in order to be aiding and offing to the running of uncuflonid Goods. And as an Attempt of fo extraordinary a Nature Ihould not efcape unobferved, I .cannot omit acquainting you with one Bill that ( wV that was brought in ,laft Seflions, which as the- rqinbus Effects which would have attended- it were too glaring not to meet with' uncommon Difcouragement and Indignation from fuch as watch over your Liberties, fo the very little Progrels 'it made prevented its coming to the Notice of many People out of'that Houfe. This was a Bill for a compulfory Regifter of all fuch'as fliould be deem’d-Seamen, and in which, fo go no further, there were no -left than thirteen penal Claufes. It would have reduced .two or three hun¬ dred Thoufand of the Subjects, for the moft part Electors oi'Gredt Britain ,' in¬ to a State of comple'at: Slavery ; and it muft in a fhort Time have thrown every Eleftiofi in’ the Kingdom into the Hands of a Mfnifter: And the Race of Englijh Sailors, the braveft and honefteft the World can boaft of, would have been made the firft'avow’d- Sacrifices to defpo- tick Power, in return- for that Valour they have fo often exerted for our Ho¬ nour- and Safety. • - - Th : us, my dear Countrymen, having before you a View of your Situation, and of theBehaviour of thofe Gentlemen whom you .have entrufted with your Liberties, F 2 you (40) you ate now, as to be determin’d by Jfa% not die . Declamation of a Party- writer, who might be accufed of attempt- ing to prepoffete or miflead your.judg¬ ments. I am indeed neither able nor defirous of doing eitherand as I can folemnly proteftil am a&aated by noother Motive tnan that of die publick Good in w^t loffer. I lhould.fcom and deleft any . inch" Attempt. ’ If your Condition amears fiich (wlnch furely it muft) as calls tor an Immediate Remedy, and the. honefteft and ableft Afiiftanfce to prevent the Evil frorh further diffufing itfelf: You will tyj’-at jno Lofs to determine whether thofe aremoft Ukely to tjeyour Deliverers, who have contributed to your Misfortunes, and bafiled the Attempts of all who would have preycnted them ; or liidb, who def- pifing die infinuatingArtsof Corruption, have ftood up the perfevering and refolute . $ifertors of your , Trade, your Honour, and your Liberty. V / • , But tho’ the Neceffity fome Gentle, men muft be foon under of having a re- courfe to your Favour, may force aGom- jpliance with die National Defires Aext oeifians, from fuich as were before deaf to your Admonitions and Intteades s and ihould ;[4I 1 fhould this happen with the Leave of their Patron, in perfect Confidence of defeating your Hopes, in another Afiembly, jrou will lurely !not allow yourfclves to be impofed on by fo. Iow an Artifice, nor fuffer their former |nfatnj$, to be blptted out by a . Couzenage (o affronting m your Difcern- ment. Be allured, that whenever a Houfe of Commons ihall really be in earaeft for a Place-bill, which only affe&s themfelves, bi* for any other Meafure fo unexception¬ able, fo conducive to the publick Safety, they will meet with no Obftrudtion in their good Purpofes from another Houfe, as the Only Influence, that can occafion it mull fcion ceafe arid determine, wherifoever a Houfe of Commons fliall be uncorrupted. , The Commons of Great Britain are the grand Inqueft of this Nation, arid when Virtuous will'keep the inoft jealous Eye ■ on the leaft Appearance of publick Fraud or. Mifinjanagemeht. As grand Inqueft, it is their Duty to make a ftrid Scrutiny ^nto every publick Meafure., Uprightnefs arid Integrity V vyill never Khun Enquiry, and thofe-phly plead for Darknefs, who ar eev h* To get In- formation, cannot pdfiibly bi; attended with ill, it may with good Effe&s. En¬ quiries are the Criterion of publick Ho- nefty. What then fhall be our Refource, if this Spirit of Enquiry comes ever to be lull’d afleep, or impudently fupprefs'd? Fraud muft then triumph over all Juftice, and Parliaments become of no other Ufe, than what a worthy Member, in the laft Reign thought them; who being told on Occafion of the feptennial AS, by a certain great Man, at that time in Power, ‘That it was thought neceffary to alter the pre- fent Confutation of Parliaments ; and con- ceiving from this IntroduSion an Aboli¬ tion of Parliaments was intended, made Anfwer, He was ready with all his Heart to Concur in it, but had one Scruple that ftuck with him, which was, his Fear left, when there was no Parliament, the King might not be fo well fupplied with Money. Look round about you, my Country¬ men, and confider the Decay of your Manufactures, the Increafe of your Poor, the many other Symptoms which every one’s Obfervation muft iuggeft to him of a declining State. For however unable to judge of your own Jntereft the Court- T ools are conftantly reprefenting you, every [ 43 3 Man can tell where his own Shoe pinches- ' Thefe Things cannot be without their Caufe; Thefe Things cannot in this Country be without Mifmanagement. Can Manufactures flourifli in a Nation loaded with near fifty Million of Debt, and de¬ voured with Taxes ? Or can you nowex- pett to be extricated out of thefe Mif- fortunes, by the Hands of thofe who themfelves have contributed to them ? Evils of this Kind every Day more and more beget their own Increafe: Thofe who have plunged you into Difficulties can fupport themfelves only by Hill add¬ ing to your Burthen: They are in the Situation of improvident Heirs, who the more they run in Debt, and leffen their Credit, muft Support their Expences by paying the greater Ufury. Consider you are now enter’d into a War, which as it was begun only at the irrefiftabie Voice of the whole People, fo muft the Succefs of it be greatly at the Heart of every Englijhman, to whom the •Honour of this Country .has been ever dear. But will that Honour be confulted by Thofe, will this War be carry’d on with Spirit by Thofe, whofe Pufillanimity brought brought on you that long Scries ofOut¬ rages which occafion’d it, and who rather 1 than grant you the Jufticc you demanded, would hatre proftituted the Rights and Honour of me Nation by an infamou^ cover’d any thing but a Series of Negli¬ gence, Abfurdities and Ignorance ? Was one proper Step taken previous to this War, tho' fo long call’d for, tho’ fo long forefeen by every Man in the Nation ? Has there been one Deed of Importance atchieved yet, befides what has been per¬ form’d by that gallant Officer and worthy Patriot Admiral Vernon ? Which mutt wholly be aferibed to His Perfonal Merit and Zeal for his- Country, and fo little intended by thofe in the Dire&ionof our Councils, that it proves the moft glaring Mark of their former Infamy. Are we from fuch Men to exped Satisfaction for Our violated Honour, Reparation for our Damages and Expences, and Security for Our Commerce ? or rather, have we not much more Reafon to dread fome paltry Treaty, a difadvantagious Sufpenfion of Arms, or a pew Convention, as the Fruit bf all our expenlive Armaments? , Tho’ I would hope a jiift Spirit is at llength arifing in fomejwhofe high Stations give them a Right to interpofe in our pub- lick Co'uhfels, that will Open their Eyes to the indignant Ufage their Country has met with from its open arid Jecret , Enemies, that will no longer fuffer them to be milled by miftaken Friend/hips* dr ill-timed attachment ; to > thofe who may think theirSafety confifts in involving them inlfieTame Imputation of Guilty - iii the fame piibliek- Execrations with theme felves. ■ If any fuch there are, who with fecret Difpleafure have repined at our Calamities,, whb are defirous, who have made any efforts towards wiping off our national Reproach, let them give a publiclc Teftimohy of their Spirit, by-adting up to the Dignity of their-own Situations j now, and now only let them do juflice to their own HOnourt ' \ “ .Wt: have hitherto Only,had one of the leaft formidable Nations in Europe fjngly to cope with; a Circumftance uncom¬ monly favourable ; on -bur Sidei and, if improvedwitheitheir Skill or Spirit,; muff have been produdtive of the moft for-* G tunar [ 46 ] tunate and advantagious Events to this Nation. The brave Admiral juft men¬ tion’d has proved this to the Conviction of every Man in the Kingdom* notwith- ftandingthe late Attempts of theMini- fterial Scribblers to lelfen the Merit of his Actions, and ridicule the univerfal Accla¬ mations of the People in his Praife. But fhould the Situation of Europe be¬ come fuch, as to. engage us in a Straggle with France * who after a moft ruinous War flourifhes by its Commerce and Manufactures, and the Difcharge of her Debts; while we, after the moft SucceC- ful and Glorious one, have every Day more and more languifh’d in the Decay of one, and under the Burthen of the other: I fay, if it becomes our Fate to be thus. engaged, what a Profpedt fhall we then have, if our Councils are thus direded ? If Alliances become neceflary, how fhall they be formed by thofe, who have loft the Confidence of our Allies, by having negotiated themfelves into a Maze of contradictory Treaties with every State in Europe ? What Weight with its Neighbours can thelnftances of any Nation be fuppofed to have, if under the Aufpices of aMinifter known to have beggar’d it at [47] at Home, and cowardly expofed its Repu¬ tation Abroad ? A Minifter,. known by them to be detefted Univerfally by the Nation over whofe Affairs he prefides- for the moft part Supported and Protefted from their Juftice only by a Mercenary' Fadhon j like Cataline’s Crew, Accom¬ plices with him in his Iniquity, or con- nedted with him by Corruption. A Mi¬ nifter, who.has robbed the Publick of the Counfels of the moft univerfally-efteem’d and undeniably the ableft Men amongft us j and who, when forced into a War, has deprived it of the Service of thofe of moft known Abilities and Experience, and fome or them fuch, to whofe Fidelity, to whole Zeal and Refolution, this Royal Family once owed its greateft Support. Would you again, my fellow Subjedts entruft your Safety in the hands of thofe who have approved of fuch Meafures? who after fo many Years Submiffion to the moft inhuman, as well as indignant Ufage would have proftituted your Honour to the moft contemptihle of Nations? Who would have given up your Trade, and thofe Rights which God and Nature has given you in Common with the reft of Q 2 the [ 48 ] the World, to the Difcuffion of obfeure and ignorant CommilTaries ? Will you again intrnft yourfelves in the Hands of thole, who would haveenflaved you with Excifes, who pillage you with Taxes, who harrafs you with Soldiers ? Men who have oppofed every Enquiry intq Milinanageraent that has been propofed- who have deny’d every one Paper, when defired, that could lay open fuch Tranf- aftions as they did not care Ihould come to light? Will you, I fay, entruft your Fortunes, your Liberty, your Pofterity in luch Hands ? God forbid you fhould draw upon yourfelves the Guilt of the two moft enormous Crimes, Suicide in regard to. yourfelves, and Parricide in regard to your Country!' " 9 Consider, my dear Countrymen, conlider ferioufly, I conjure you, that your Conduit in the enfuing Choice of your Reprefentatives will not only de- tennine the Prefent, but, in all Proba¬ bility, the future Fate of thefe King¬ doms. Our Affajrs are now at a Crifis, and you mull; now decide whether you will tranfinit that Libery to your Chil, dfen, which your Anceftors handed down (A9j to you : thro’ Deluges ■ of, Blood; or intail pn them perpetual ignominious, Slaver^ Th is one Effort will ; noyv, faveyoup Country, which implores, your . AflHlance^ Refledt on this,, and let.not any .miftakep Prejudices, much lefs, die irmuence;,.pf any dirty Gratuity for yourfelyes or, Re¬ lations, makeyou give up this important Duty, your real, your ,, only Intereft'^ this Occafiom- If any pf you are adhiated by more,.immediate $ieyrs .of perfonal Intereft,; I ,befeech, yop, to jtiy the .,^- perimentj if in a very fhoft Time, yoi| will, not reap, fuch Fniit^,.from a. worthy Choice ofyour Members, as fhall, Con¬ vince you ipf the Trudi of that well grounded Proverb,; Honejiy is'the'b^ Th|s t . js,;apL Exhortation, unniecefi^ for me to make, ufe of. to the Free¬ holders of’ Great Britain-, unneceffary indeed - in almoft every Place where Trade and Induftry fubfift: ; But as. the > Integrity of fuch wiU not atone be;fuflj T cient tp avail us, I muft more. particur larly recommend ittothatPartofspiy (Countrymen, who are fo numeroufly,^ ^ prefented L 5° ] prcfented in Proportion to the finall Share they bear in the publick Burthen, to confider how cruel, how unworthy it will be in them, to make ufe of the great Share they bear in the Legiflature, by joining in the Deftrudion of that Con- ffitution that has fo remarkably indulged them. Think, my Fellow-Subjeds, on the Ignominy thofe have treated you with, who for many Years paft have no- torioufly kept an avow’d Broker to tranfad the Sale of you, as they would of then Cattle, to fuch as are again to make their Market of you ? Can you refled with Patience on this fhameful Infult offer’d to you, by making yon thus the Objeds of fuch vile and exe¬ crable Bargains, which, when the great Bufinefs fhall be accomplifh’d (as muft foon inevitably, be the Cafe, if not' pre¬ vented) muft render you even in that Rcfped of no Price, of no Eftimation ? Let it not then be laid hereafter, that when the Eledors of Great Britain fp unanimoufly exerted their Zeal for Inde¬ pendence, Corruption met with fuch Protedion, in one Corner only, as baffled the glorious Attempt. Now is your Time Time to wipe off, irioft. effeftualjy. td Wipe off^ me Reproach that has been: put | upon - you} noW: is your Tiifle. - to convince, Mankind; that no Borough' in..England can ever be rfunk fo low;, , as' to. think: ,/themfelves unconcerned, ■ unaf- fefted : by the: Conteft, when;the Lk berties of Britain are the Subjedt. ; And now,. Gentlemen;, to you muft I beg leave to addrefs "myfelf, whofe Et tates, Whofe^Credit in your refpedtive Neighbourhoods, give you a Right toin- terfere in thofe Elevens that are carry¬ ing on round about youv. Ascybu are molt of you ’fuch; as by living chiefly in your own Counties within the. Compafi of your .paternal Eftates, are removed from thofe Views which ohly can pervert the Hearts ofMenfromanAttention to the publick Good, it will bemeedlefe in me to trouble you, with any thing in; Regard to your own perfonat Behaviour on:the approaching Occafion, which there is no:. Room te doubt: but will be moil flridUy: right. What is next required :cf you, .-is," to be ftirring and adtive in this great Caufe, that now calls on you to roufe yourfelvesAnd .by fo doing let me venture to affyre you, that the im- f 5* ] ELrtained. Suffer Affront to be offer’d you, as to • fee your 7??wns> tho’ on 1 all Sides lurrounded by Country-Gentlemen of Reputation., and Fortunes, >>,. reprefented by Rich,' whole Names you never heard of; feme of them perhaps thd low. Clerks of an . Office, the adhial Servants of Commiffioners of the. Treafury... or Admiralty; Can it be “ought to be confident with ourCon- nitution, that fuch Men ffiould be in-’ traduced; into: theHoufe of Commons; which has been lately the Cafe ? Is there any one. who dares to affert, that fuch Perfons areproper to examine the Ac¬ counts,; nay: fit in Judgment on the Con-* dudHof thofe very Matters, whofe Com-' mands they receiv’d an Hour, before with Submiffivenefs, with: Trembling ? I' can, Ijneed fay no more on What fo much ex* cites my;> own . Impatience, as it furely miift; ydur, warmeft Refentment. . - , zlcliET me recommend ,it to you there¬ fore^. Gendemen, to meet together, and concert iiich Meafiires amongft. .your- feWc^r as yoa:ffiall : ' think proper to be tak^i-; that, with l one. Accord you may f : “bit ( Si) moft vigoroufly exert yourfelvesin th*. feveral Boroughs near you, in. Support 6^ honeft and independent Candidates; make ufe of that r Efteem, ,the Credit .which you are entitled to from your neighbour¬ ing Elcdors, to promote a due; Senfe amongft them of that- Duty which they oWe to themfelves and their Country. Few then will he fo weak as to prefer a paultry Bribe, of four or five Pounds.tp the' i good Opinion, Countenance, and Protec¬ tion of their rwcalthy and efteem’d Neighr hours. If any fuch unworthy Wretches are found, as will, like Ejau, fell their Birth-right for, a- Mefs of Pottage* let. diem be treated; as excommunicate,; as die Betrayers, as the Pelt of the Society i they,, belong: to: Let no Commerce be earned on With them, hut let them bear their Mark like the murderous Cain, that alf who meet them may know their ^Re¬ proach, and avoid them with Scorn, with Detedation. ‘ ■' ’ . Thus, Geptlemen, by. a- proper and fpirited Condud (which Heaven difpofe you .to ; ; piirfue j. jiriay. drat. Cdrniptrpn, wlucii now like ^D^ugefeems to iwc^p. aU ibefore iti be. -rendw’d utterly impd- rl;/' 1 '"-" ; ^ ; tent ( 54 ) tent, and turn only to the ConfufionoF its Promoters. ThS Crown now in Poffeflion of raft Revenues for Life, of almoft uni- yerfal Influence, what is it not, with a Parliament at its Devotion, able to do ? I am confident his prefent Majefty would himfelf deteft knowingly to make ufe of fuch a Power to our Hurt} but when¬ ever we fhall be wholly at the Mercy of our Kings, we are in Reality equally Slaves with the moft abjeft Vaflals of the Great Turk. No People can be Called free, any longer than they have the Power of redreffing their own Grievan¬ ces, of doing themfelves Juftice, and even Of vindicating their Liberty by Force, if opprefled by their Rulers. It is not the Lenity of their Governors that deno¬ minates a People free: The Romans were not a jot lefs Slaves under Augujius than under Nero. You had formerly always one Re- fource againft the Oppreflion, the Ty¬ ranny of yourRulers; that was the Spirit,, the Oppofition of the People: A lamen¬ table Refource indeed! but fuch as has been £ 55 3 been more than once exerted ,with Juf r tfce, and it ks&en exerted vyith Success: I may boldly lay it has been everted With Juftiee; and. to its being ekerted with 'Succefs, we owe the Happmefe of‘having the prefent Royal Family on the Throne. Alas! how is our Situation , chang¬ ed? Should a Time arife, when the G uar¬ dians of our Rights lhall bafely betray .them f when they lhall forfeit by Jo do¬ ing the Traft delegated to them, but which it is in your Power formally to. re¬ voke; if Tyranny Ihould pubjickly raife her Heidi apd Refiftance become Jhe on¬ ly Refource left for the Prefervatioq of your Liberty j how then can yon re- drefs your felves ? how exert your; wonted Strength^ Urhen furrounded by mercenary Armies, canton’d out jui every County and confiderable Towiv.throughout - thp Kingdom ?- If you fhould then fubmit* you muft be undone; if ygujhould ref|ft, it would prohably be the Means to bind your Chains, the .falter. ’ These Confiderations, all thefe me: lancholy Confidetations, my Counby- nien, -point, out the , Importance of the H 2 1 ' eh- ; [ 56 ] . enfuing Elections. Now is yourTime to {hew your Regard for your Country, who by you only expedts to be faved. Now is your'Time to {hew a true, an effedtual Regard for the Hanover Succefiion, by the choice of a Parliament, who {hall fix their Throne, there only to be firmly eftabllfh’d, in the Hearts and Affeftions of the People of England. C h u s e therefore from amongft your Neighbours, Men of. approved Abilities and Integrity; or if you throw your Eyes on any who haye not had an Opportu¬ nity of giving a publick Teftimony of their Behaviour, let them be fuch as the Independency of their Fortunes {hall fet above the. Baits of Corruption; fuch as are notlikely by Extravagance or Vanity to fue meanly for. the Emoluments or gaudy Trappings of a-Court; let them be fuch amongft your Neighbours, whofe Hofpi- tality, whofe Charity, and'whofe Virtues in private Life, promife Difiritereftednefs and Integrity in their publick one. Chuse fuch Gentlemen to repre¬ sent you, whofe Intereft is blended with yours, who feel the Burthen’ of Taxes, the :■[>] . the Decay of Trade, equally with , your felves; not Men ' who 'flourifli by your Poverty, who (hare in the Spoils of their Countiy, whofe Luxuryi' is pamper’d by what is drain’d from you ; who receive their Salaries, their Penfions, the Wages of their Corruption, from your* Mifery. Thefe are Men who mock at publick Calamities, who avowedly ridicule all , Regard for your Intereft, who endeavour to hugh publick Spirit out of the World, as the immature Notion only of Novices and Striplings : Men fo abandon’d, as openly to declare their Difapprobation of thofe Meafures they have proftitutely given then - : Votes next Day in Favour of. t Can you do otherwife, ^hiy Countrymen, .'than rejeft Men .of this Stamp With Con¬ tempt, with Indignation?, It is not now the idle Qonteft of Parties, whofe Names ’neither you nor themfelves have often uhderftopd, and where/ whatever Side prevail’d, the Feople have; got nothirig by r the Bargain. No, my Friends, every thing that ihouldhe dearto the People of Eng¬ land is now at Stake. We have liv’d to hear i Angle Gentleman exhort his" Le¬ gions; in the moft awful Affembly, to - protecfc'him againft any Enquiry, by di- reflly 158 3 ie$y.telling., them, toconfiderthc Qucf- tion in no.othcr Light, but as he was af- feaed, as he was pointed out by it; this perfonal Coniideration only, was to deteraunc ,thw Refolutions: This being the Cafe,-the Conteft is now notorious, is nqw avotyed, between independence and l/iberty againft Corruption, and §lal very} and fure an Englijhmah cannot he- fitate a Moment, which Caufe he IfraW eipoufe. - • •'* = I: h a v;E now but one^ng further to recommend to you; that is, to irifift on the parliamentary Attendance of thofe you think proper rto chufe.: r Times 'lilie thefe requite) Valance, Adiiyity and Per¬ severance in the Guardians of the Publickj for fuch your Reprefentatives arc, or ought - to be. Judge then how inconfiftent.with the Duty of Guardians, are Slptjb, Ne-. gleft andDefpair. Whatever Conformity withityour Sentiments Gentlemen , may fe*in to exprefc, thtyaft very unworthy of * thettji ifdvq'ithe Vapity oidy